


Lunula

by BeetleQueen



Category: Labyrinth (1986)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, F/M, Fluff, Romantic Fluff, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-10
Updated: 2016-10-10
Packaged: 2018-08-21 17:51:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,799
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8254906
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BeetleQueen/pseuds/BeetleQueen
Summary: Inspired by the amazing shutup-fuzzball/DesdemonaAngelShe mentioned how Jareth wears a Lunula - a traditionally female talisman. We had a good chat about possible reasons for why he'd wear one. Though I love the idea of magically genderfluid Jareth, I'm saving that for a future fic - so my thoughts about his possible hobgoblin dad came into play - and fuzzball came up with the names! ^^Hope you all like~





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [DesdemonaAngel](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DesdemonaAngel/gifts).



> Lunula: A lunula (plural: lunulae) was a crescent moon shaped pendant worn by girls, the equivalent of the boy's bulla, girls ideally wore them as an apotropaic amulet. In the popular belief the Romans wore amulets usually as a talisman, to protect themselves against evil forces, demons and sorcery, but especially against the evil eye.

Jareth watched Sarah in amusement; they were both in a naked embrace, but Sarah continued to toy with the amulet around his neck. "It's pretty..." She said, running a finger across the symbol in the centre.

"Thank you." Jareth pulled her closer. Before he could add to that, Sarah's curious mind was already interrupting.

"What does it mean?" She nestled closer. "And what is it?" Jareth opened his mouth— "A talisman? Something to ward off evil? A—" Jareth's finger appeared upon her lips, quietening her.

"Sarah Williams, you are incorrigible..." He chuckled as he rolled them over, his spent cock finally twitching back to life.

"Oh come on..." She whined. "I want to know. Mind blowing sex after, deal?"

Jareth rolled his eyes, flopping down beside her. "Deal..." He took off the amulet, and held it up for Sarah. She took it, inspecting it further. "It was my mother's..." He began...

 

* * *

 

Lily was sneaking around the house. It was the middle of the night, and she'd heard plenty of noises for close to a week now.

The village people told her it must be a nasty kind of fae - one that would eat her as soon as look at her. Perhaps a Boggart. Lily didn't know much about the fae - or goblins, but her curiosity would not be quelled.

She'd heard butchered tales of fae that stole young women. and took them to the Underground. She wore a lunula around her neck since deciding to live alone - perhaps in a foolish attempt to ward off such evil.

Her rational mind however told her, 'If evil is looking for you, it will find you - no matter what you wear around your neck.'

Still, despite her rational mind, Lily squeezed it in her palm as she tiptoed down the stairs.

She'd barely rounded the corner when she heard a scuttling sound. But when she held up her candle, the kitchen was empty.

Perhaps next time.

It became almost like a game of sorts. Lily would walk as silently as she could to the kitchen in the dead of night - and each time she got a little closer at catching it in the act.

Just last night, she'd managed to spy a tufty head of blond hair before the creature disappeared.

After doing some research, Lily had began leaving out honey and milk. The house, she realised, once she'd bribed the fae, was becoming more and more tidy. The left over pots and pans she'd promised herself she'd clean come morning were washed and on the drying rack. After leaving out oats, the creature even dried and tidied everything away into the cupboards.

It was three weeks later when she was making her way to the kitchen that she caught it.

Well... Him.

A pair of large, mismatched eyes stared at her agog from across the kitchen table, a slice of honeyed bread in his hand, and his mouth half open.

"Oh." Lily swallowed thickly. She'd imagined a beast. Something hairy. Something altogether demonic and ugly.

But he was... Lovely.

"Hello..." She chanced. The fae seemed rooted to the spot, and she was reminded of the way hare's froze just before they bolted. "My name is Lily." She watched him as he put down the bread, his fingers sticky. He haphazardly popped them in his mouth, a pink glow at his cheeks as he cleaned them off. "Are you... a faerie..?"

His blush became darker, and he made an indignant sound. "A..?!" His face was altogether offended. "I'm not one of Those." He hissed belligerently. "Whatever gave you that idea?"

"I..." Lily felt bad - she hadn't meant to upset him at all. "Then what are you..?"

"I'm," He drew himself up importantly. "A Hobgoblin." He then nodded to himself proudly. "Or a Brownie - whichever suits me just fine."

"A goblin." She whispered. "But—" And this was when she really put her foot in it. "Aren't goblins supposed to be..." He frowned, already aware of her suspicions. "Ugly..?"

The fae folded his arms, grumbling. "You really have a way with words, don't you." He sniffed, before his eyes caught sight of the silver and gold amulet at the hollow of her throat - distracting his tantrum almost immediately. In seconds he was standing in front of her, poking at it with a scrawny finger. "And this." He murmured, spellbound by the shininess. "What is this..?" His eyes were bright and full of wonder.

"It's a lunula." Lily smiled, watching the man fiddle with it. "It's... sort of a good luck charm. To ward off evil, and enhance—" Beauty. "Well, it's just a popular choice for women." She blushed.

"Oh." So only women wore these - a shame, as the hobgoblin thought he'd've looked quite fetching indeed with it hanging around his neck. "You have a very nice house." He then noted, his eyes gazing every which way but in her direction. "And..." The fae paused, steeling himself. "It's... kind that you leave out things for me..."

This was the first home in which he'd been thanked for his efforts. Usually he was scolded for 'not cleaning properly', or made to keep out of the way entirely. It was why he hid himself away here at first. The last home had forced him into his Boggart form. Usually once that happened, the Boggart would follow the family until they died - moving home along with them, and tormenting them all the while.

But he didn't have the strength for all that. He'd terrified them into apologising, and then waltzed off into the next village with his nose in the air.

"Well I couldn't leave you to starve." Lily then spoke. "And you do such a better job than me..." She then took a seat at the kitchen table. "I can barely cook; and I use up so many pots and pans trying not to ruin a meal." She chuckled. "You must've had a lot of work... so it's only fair that I thank you."

The hobgoblin beamed, pleased with such praise.

"Was... Was there anything else you might like?" She then asked tentatively. "As a thank you?" She realised how loaded a question that was, and rushed to rephrase it. "What else do you like to eat?"

The hobgoblin made a strange noise in surprise. She was... offering to give him more..?! When he'd scoffed down the honey bread tonight, he'd counted his blessings. And she wanted to give him more..?

"I... quite enjoy porridge." He chanced. "But if it's too much trouble—"

"Of course not!" Lily smiled happily. That was the one thing she could cook that didn't end up ruined. "Take a seat." The fae continued to gawk at her. "Are you alright..?"

"I..." He fiddled with his hands. "You don't mind..?" He stared at the chair, blushing. Every home until now had railed against the idea of him using the furniture. He usually slept in the backs of cupboards, or sat under the stairs.

"Why would I mind..?" Lily blinked. "And where do you sleep?"

The fae felt faint. "I-In the coal house..." He looked away.

"Well." Lily said. "That won't do at all."

 

* * *

 

"Wow, your mom didn't take it slow, huh?" Sarah chuckled. Now she saw where Jareth got that from...

"Well... She'd never quite encountered a fae before. She had no idea of the proper etiquette one takes when dealing with a hobgoblin." He smiled. "And it doesn't take much for us to become enamoured as you might have guessed..." Jareth's smile turned sly.

"Yeah, feed them a bit of honey, and it's a job to get rid of em." Sarah teased, tapping his nose.

"And you humans can be so beguiling..." The fae hummed, his lips at her throat. Sarah pushed him off with a snort.

"Rest of the story..." Jareth whined. "I know you're holding out on me. Did she make him turn into a Boggart..?"

 

* * *

 

Lily was astonished one day when she offhandedly remarked that there was still a stain on a dish, that the cute, timid, and altogether polite hobgoblin had grown three feet, sprouted extra hair, and told her to stick said dish where the sun failed to shine.

After trying to coax him out from under the stairs, she gave up and set to work on making him the nicest meal she could muster.

Parts of it were burnt, and the presentation left a lot to be desired, but when she waggled it under the stairs, a gnarled set of hands grabbed it before wolfing the lot.

There was a burp, and a clatter as the empty plate landed on the floor. Lily decided to try one more time.

"I'm sorry... I shouldn't have even mentioned it; you do so much for me, and I took it for granted." She then paused. "I took You for granted. And I'll never do so again. I promise." Lily added.

A head peeked out from around the corner, and she noted with relief that he'd turned back into his usual self.

Not even waiting for him to speak, Lily had launched herself into his arms, pressing a relieved kiss to his cheek.

"Oh, thank goodness!" She squeezed him, and the fae made a noise either of complaint or embarrassment. Lily let go, still smiling from ear to ear. "Do you want to go for a walk?"

The hobgoblin shrank back, his eyes wide and fearful. "Outside..?" He whimpered.

"Where else?" Lily stood up straight, and held out her hand. The fae took it gingerly. "Have you never been outside..?"

"Not for long periods of time..." He mumbled warily. "Just from house to house..." He felt a hot blush prickle across his face when Lily squeezed his hand in reassurance.

They were soon taking a stroll through the forest behind her home. And Lily asked of him the questions she'd always wanted answering - though taking care not to offend him all the same.

"You look so much like humans do." She blurted out, feeling calmer when the fae laughed.

"Yes, I suppose we do." He then tucked his wild hair behind one pointed ear. "But we have a few differences..."

"I like the differences." Lily mused, threading their fingers. "And I like you. Do you like me?" She held her breath, waiting.

"I do." He whispered. "Very much. You're kind, and you make me laugh. And though your cooking is terrible, it's full of—" Love. "I like it." He said instead, turning rosy.

"Y'know you can always take over the cooking—" Lily panicked. "I mean, you don't have to!! You'd... probably just be a lot better than me." She chuckled nervously.

"Yes, I don't doubt it." He nodded, oblivious to how blunt he'd just appeared. "We could... cook together?" He then chanced.

"Next you'll be offering to share a bed too." Lily laughed, and promptly regretted every single word. "T-That was a joke..." She looked away, her own cheeks aflame.

"Oh." He nodded, trying to pretend that he hadn't been hopeful. It was hard not to think of her in Those Ways. Her pale white skin - it made him hungry for milk. Amongst other things... Her full, rounded curves didn't help. Nor the way her pupils enlarged every so often. He knew such unions were frowned upon by the church, however. She probably didn't even think of him in That Way... Still— "If you change your mind..." He let the comment hang between them, not meeting her eyes.

Lily's heart was hammering in her chest. Had he been any other man, she'd have told him in no uncertain terms what she thought of him - and it wouldn't be polite.

But this man was different. There was no cruel intent lingering in the background. He had the power to do whatever he wanted, and still he was the perfect gentleman. Not to mention he cleaned every room in the house, and took care of all the chores without even being asked. It wasn't every day a man like that landed in your life.

Maybe the church disapproved of the fae because they made them look lazy by comparison. Lily smirked to herself, wondering slyly what other things the fae could do better than humans.

"Is it alright if we go indoors now..?" A quiet voice mumbled. "It's starting to get dark. Maybe we could make dinner.... together..?" He asked.

"Yes. That's a wonderful idea." Lily beamed.

 

* * *

 

"Wow, she had him whipped." Sarah laughed. "Are all goblin boys hopeless romantics, or is it just your line?"

"Depends on the goblin's temperament. And how they're raised." Jareth explained. "My father always told me - when you meet the one, you'll know. And make sure not to let her get away when you do..."

"The peach..." Sarah rolled her eyes.

"Well it worked, didn't it?" Jareth nuzzled her more closely. "Fae live longer than humans... if you hadn't eaten it, you'd be wrinkly by now." Sarah scoffed. "I'd still love you, though..."

"Because you're whipped." She said, rubbing her foot up his calf. "Continue."

 

* * *

 

"Can I..." Lily hesitated. She'd left it long enough for the topic to be embarrassing. But if she didn't ask, it would only get worse when she finally mustered enough courage. "Can I ask your name..?"

The hobgoblin looked shocked. "Oh." He fumbled with his hands before chopping the rest of the vegetables. Where Lily's efforts were lopsided and uneven, his were uniform and neat. "How much do you know about the fae..?"

"Not a lot, to be honest..." Lily chuckled. "Tell me?"

The fae hummed mournfully - it was hard not to open up completely to this woman. She was so naive, and curious. Not to mention he enjoyed their little exchanges.

"If a human learns the name of a fae..." He paused. Should he tell her? He felt as though he could trust Lily, but he'd been wrong before. And it had not ended well. "They gain power over them. They can command them to do almost anything." Lily's eyes widened.

"Oh." She took his hands. "Then forget that I asked. You don't need to tell me." Lily threaded their fingers, a pink tinge to her cheeks. "I don't want you worrying that I might— I wouldn't—"

"Branok." He blurted out.

"What..?"

"That's. My name." He looked like a deer in the headlights. "Branok."

"Oh." Lily took a step closer. He'd just given her power over him. He trusted her enough that he'd given her the opportunity to practically control him, hoping that she wouldn't. Lily let go of his hands, settling hers instead on his cheeks. "There's only one thing I need from you, then." Branok braced himself. "I... would like a kiss, Branok." She bit her lip before adding, "but only if you want to."

With barely a second to spare, petal soft lips met hers in a chaste kiss; Branok standing on his toes to deliver it. Lily felt his arms wrap around her, and she tilted her head, teasing open his lips with her tongue. She felt him stiffen before relaxing, his own moving more insistently; hungrily.

 

* * *

 

"I knew it." Sarah smirked. "From the moment I knew what your name was, I had power over you."

Jareth made a snorting kind of sound.

"But Hoggle knew it - why didn't he make you do things?"

"Because he would not dare." The goblin chuckled. "He knows he'd get a dip in the Bog before he could blink." Sarah rolled her eyes, deciding to change the subject.

"So, if the necklace is just for girls, why wear it? Why not put it in a box, or turn it into—"

"Something Manly perhaps?" Jareth chortled. "A belt buckle..? Oh no, maybe divide it and wear them as cufflinks." Sarah gave him a withering look. "You should know by now, Precious, that the fae are not hindered by your foolish laws of gendered fashion. If it becomes me, I wear it; it's just that simple."

"And you know that I love that about you, right?" Sarah snuggled closer, tracing his jawline with a finger. "I love that you wear more makeup than me." Jareth's smile grew. "And I love that you wear jewellery." She looked serious all of a sudden. "I love that you don't give a fuck about what anyone thinks..."

"And here I was thinking you only wanted me for my body..." The fae grinned, pulling her into his arms, their foreheads touching.

"Well, that never hurt." They were kissing seconds later, Jareth's hands wandering, and Sarah's heart racing— Until another question jumped into her curious mind. "How come you're a King then..?" She squeaked when their lips parted. "If your dad was just a house-goblin..?"

"That, my love..." Jareth laid a soft kiss at her neck, and then one on her jaw. "Is a story for another day..."

**Author's Note:**

> A Hobgoblin is basically the same as a Brownie (the names just differ depending on where you live) - a type of goblin that lives in your home, and takes care of the tidying up. When offended, they then turn into a Boggart.
> 
> A Boggart torments the family, even going so far as to follow them from house to house, until they die. But a heartfelt apology can be enough to switch the Boggart back into it's Brownie/Hobgoblin form ;)
> 
> I headcanon that Sarah just needs to smooch Jareth out of his Boggart form. But if that doesn't work, they'll just have mind blowing hate sex, which always works...


End file.
